Pregnancy Update: 5 Months

I am feeling really good these days. It is the miracle of the 2nd trimester. I have my energy back, I don’t feel nauseous anymore, and I am really showing now. I tend to get uncomfortable more easily these days. My back will hurt or the ligaments in my stomach will ache. I expect that to only get worse the further along I am.

We had an ultrasound and everything looks good with the baby. Nate and I don’t want to find out the sex of the baby. However, I really don’t like that we can’t change our mind after the ultrasound is over so… We asked the doctor to write down his gender guess and seal it in an envelope for us. The envelope (still sealed!) is sitting on the kitchen counter.

We did the same thing with Grace and opened the envelope in the hospital a few hours after she was born. I love the freedom of being able to change our minds even if we never do.

Nate and I are really struggling with names. He doesn’t like any of my suggestions. I hate all of his suggestions. We kind of stopped talking about it. We have time, right?

I started writing down my Insane Goals for 2012 – The Baby Prep Edition. Holy smokes, it is a long list. The amount of things I want/need to get down in the next 4 months is probably twice as long as my goals for this whole past year. Heaven help me.

Comments

Well, I wasn’t ready for baby #2 given her crazy early arrival, but it all worked out. So I guess that’s my advice– no matter what, it really WILL all work out. 🙂 We hadn’t nailed down names at all when C. was born (because we had lots of time left) but the funny thing is… after she was born, hubby and I were in separate wings of the hospital and people asked us if we had a name. Somehow, we gave the exact same name, with total confidence. Guess it was meant to be! (And also? I am completely impressed with you and Nate’s restraint. We don’t find out either, but I think an envelope would tempt me to no end!)

That is an amazing story about the name! I don’t know why we are having such a hard time with this baby. I think we are going to need to break out the baby name books.

I came up with a 24 hour rule about the envelope. If we decide that we want to look in it, we have to wait a full 24 hours before we actually open it. That way we don’t tear into it in a weak moment of impulse. I’m pretty set on waiting. 🙂

You are too cute! 🙂 We never found out with any of the kids (5).
I agree with Jessie! It will all work out! I was the most unprepared this time around! you would think after having 4 others things would be a piece of cake. Number 5 was different! 🙂 I had nothing ready! nothing! 🙂

You are pretty much the cutest thing ev-uh! I keep seeing these “toddler busy boxes” on Pinterest that you only get out when nursing the baby. I think these are genius and wish someone had thought of them when I had baby two. Whenever I sat down to nurse, my oldest would decide she needed to use the potty. What’s a mom to do?

Andrea, that is awesome! I’ll definitely look into those busy boxes. Thank you so much for the tip.

Grace is going to be right at the potty training age when this baby is born. I would love to do it before the baby comes and be “done” with it, but she just isn’t ready yet. I’m dreading what potty training will look like with a nursing baby. (Don’t read that wrong! There is no way I’ll be potty training Grace as soon as I have the baby, but since I plan to nurse for at least a year…)

So exciting! There may be a huge list of things you think you need, but in reality, you can easily make do with very little. I was freaking about diapers for the new baby. I’m just using receiving blankets as flats with the oragami fold. I’ve got boobs. I’ve got a place for baby to sleep and some basic baby clothes. All we need!

My list is full of baby prep stuff (installing the car seat, moving Grace to a new room, etc) and a lot of projects that I’m sure I won’t have time for after the baby. I would love to get caught up on my photo books (sound familiar??) and work on an eBook that has been stewing for a year in my head.

I look forward to seeing your new list. The next Insane Goals link up will be on January 2nd and open for a week. I’ll probably post a review of my progress from the whole year and then post my new list later in January. Otherwise the post would be about 100,000 words long!

With The Adventure it we had a lot to do. We had to move! But I was ready for her to show up a month early. I get super motivated when I’m pregnant, it’s almost like I’m in panic mode for 7 months. As far as names, Kirk and I start researching names right away. We go for the sound of the name just as much as meaning. I love thebump.com because they have a baby name tool that saves all of your names you like so it’s easier to keep track of.

Expecting baby number 2 when our daughter will turn 2 and I made 9 busy bags so far. Pinterest and home school websites are great places for ideas. Like you I plan on nursing for a while and since your at it 7 times a day or so in the beginning that’s a lot of time. You can build the bags very cheaply and make them homemade. The button snake is my favorite so far. Just search for it. You’ll find it. Good luck!

Sorry I don’t have a board. I just typed in busy bags and the ideas opened. I made a folder in internet explorer and a hard copy of the ideas in a folder on the desktop in case some need to be recreated.